My Dinner With Brazil: Part 15

I have a book in my personal library I've been working on for some time titled "The Magic Tactics of Tal" by Karsten Muller. There are several photos of Tal in that book looking quite handsome & dapper. So it came as a surprise to me when Brazil described Tal's grooming & appearance as less than exemplary. "Are you serious Brazil? Tal used to walk around looking bummy?" I asked him. "You bet Solo." Brazil replied. "At first glance Tal gave the impression of being a homeless retarded guy. He was unwashed, unkempt & messy hair with what little hair he had. He balded very young & in fact was bald by the early time he won the Title at age 21." I was struck by this since I had such a different private inner vision of Tal judging by the photos in Muller's book. "No matter because once you spoke to Tal even for a short time one realized you were not dealing with a dummy or retard. His eyes had a way of looking through you even though I'm sure he wasn't intentionally analyzing others. He had a very fine focus of attention. That was my overall impression of him. But Tal was surely  what we call nowadays a space cadet by nature.  Some essential part of him was always somewhere else. Never 100% committed to the common everyday happenings around him. He was as the song says "Living In His Own Private Idaho".  This  reinforced my belief that exemplary geniuses are rarely considered completely normal by humdrum average society. Always there is a touch of eccentricity even bordering on madness when a genius is involved. Think of Bobby's well know traits or even van Gogh who cut off his own ear over a lover girl or the great Nietzsche who wound up in a madhouse in his last inglorious days & the list could go on & on. "I'm going to the bathroom for another toot of Escobar." said Brazil. "No problemo." I replied. That was my secret plan,  to get Brazil nicely Escobared  up so that he would continue talking freely about his time with the great Russian Masters back in the day. So far my plan was working to perfection. Santana's "Oye Como Va" pumped from the jukebox. "I'll see you in a bit." said Brazil.  "Cool." I replied.